X-men: First Class (2011)

This episode of the X-men franchise goes back to 1962 to explain Professor Xavier's love-hate relationship with Magneto (they used to be buddies) and calms down the fever-pitch energy attained over the course of the original three X-men movies while still delivering the themes and set-pieces expected of the series.

★★★★☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS

Unknown (2011)

Unknown starts intriguingly, a bit like Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (an American in Europe suffers a head injury and then isn't believed) and ends excitingly, a bit like Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (a race against the clock to prevent an assassination attempt at a gathering of prominent world figures), but the stretch in between is too run-of-the-mill for too long, keeping this from being a suspense action great.

★★★☆☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS